Controlling means for release-valves.



PATENTED MAR. 26, 1997..

s. e. MOORE. oom'jmoLLm MEANS FOR RELEASEl VALVES.'

APPLIGATION FILEDJAN. 5.31907.

rieure errne sitas o. noone,

TENT @it 0F, SOUTH OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

GONTPOLMNG MEANS FR REl..EASE-\HLLVESQ To all whom, t may concern:

l Beit known that l, SrLAs C. MOORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at South Omaha,'in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling Means for Release-Valves, oi which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in controlling means for release-valves for use in coimection with release-valves ordinarily found upon the auxiliary reservoir of airbrake mechanism.

The object of the invention is to provide a lockinglmeans toca-use the release-valve to be continued in an open7 or released position after`- said valve has been manually opened.

The invention also includes `automatic devices for changing the position of the locking means, so that the releasing-lever at the exhaust-port upon the auxiliary reservoirmay become unlocked and restored to a normal dr operative position.

IThe invention presents features especially relating to simplicity of construction and reliability of action, all being fully explained herein, pointed out by the claims, and illustrated in the drawings.

TWhen a freight-car or freight-train has been detached from the locomotive, the airbrakes become set, and at the time of switching cars it becomes the duty of the yardman or other employee te release the compressed air from the auxiliary reservoir of each car,

this being accomplished by raising and holding one of the arms olf the rock-lever of the release-valve until the air escapes. This operation is familiarly known as bleedingj and it results in much losls of time, especially where there are several cars in one train, since the air does not immediately escape. By use of the simple devices shown in the invention and which may be readily attached to lany ordinaryl air-brake mechanism the Wheels of an entire train may be quickly released from the brakes.

Theinventionprovidesaresiliently-mounted spreading-rod, which is disposed in a` position lengthwise the piston-rod and brakecylinder and traverses a part ofthe auxiliary reservoir suflicient' to actuate a pair ot locking-bars, which have a connection with the ordinary releasing-lever or rock-lever now in use`. The operation of the spreading-rod is to have a longitudinal movement and to be Specification of Letters Patent.

,l907.` Serial Nn. 850.936.

Patented March 26, 190'?.

tion ofthe piston-rod as soon as the releasinglever has been raised and to have an outward movement by operation oi its resilientmounting.

in the drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical side vieu oi parts oit air-brake mechanism with my invention mounted thereon, the train-pipe, piston-rod, and a part of the piston-cylinder being broken away. Figs. 2 3, and 4 are vertical side views ci' a type oi release-valve in common use in connection with an auxiliary reservoir; Fig. 3- shows a part in section to disclose the valve and rocklever. The upper part oi" these iigures show the locking-bars oi my invention. Fig. 5 is a plan view ci' the inner end of the spreadingrod, being a part of my invention and appearing also inliig. e. F 6 and 7 are detail views, respectively, on lines c b and c d of Fig. 1 looking outwardly from the releasevalve. Fig. S is a liront view oi a part of the invent-ion, showing a locking-bar in engagement with one of the arms 'ot' the rock-lever in a manner to lock this lever in an open position to allow escape of compressed air.

Referring no to the drawings, the numerals '1, 2, and 3 respectively indicate the train-pipe, triple valve, and connecting-pipe therebetween found in ordinary air-brake construction.

1l, 5, and 6 indicate, respectively, the auxiliary reservoir, brake-cylinder, and pistonrod.

The numeral 7, Fig. l, indicates the releasevalve upon the auxiliary reservoir.

The construction oi: the release-valve is quite fully shownin the lower parts of Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 8, and it will be seen that the lower part ot escape-pipe S has a threaded part 9, used for making connection with the wall of reservoir et. Pipe 8 has removably secured thereon the valve-housing 10, with the apertured transverse web 11 therein. The pintlfe 12 is seated in this aperture and passes downward Within the bore of* escapepipe 8, the spring 13 exerting a resisting pressure upon valve 14, forcing the latter to a seatingupon the inner tace oi web 11 1n a manner to close the aperture.

Theupper end of valve-housing 10 is provided with pairs oi' oppositelydisposed brackets 15, each pair having a transverse contact-bolt mounted therebetween, as bolts 16 and 17. The valve-housing is provided with recesses 1S and 19 below the plane of brought in an inward direction under opera-A IOC brackets' 15, Fig. 3, which permits a downward-swinging movement of either arm of the roclr-lever 20. Rock-lever or releasinglever is provided 'with arms 21 and 22 and with downwardly-curved recesses 23 and'24 for engagement, respectively, with contactbolts 16 and 17, and it will be'understoed that rock-lever'20 has a seating upon pintle for releasing the wheel-brake, and either one of arms 21 or 22 may be used for this purpose. In practice operating-rods 25 are einployed which pass to each side of the car for use of the operator. The devices thus described have been used many years in connection With improved air-brake mechanism for freight-cars, and the use of my invention vdoes" not contemplate any change, except, perhaps, thevalve-housing.

For purposes of my invention I employ eX- tensions 26,l passing above brackets 15, but upon the same vertical plane and preferably constructed integral therewith. Extensions 26 operate as bearing-plates, between which I pivotally mount, as at 27, the loclringebars 28 and 29. These locking-bars are upon the same vertical plane as rock-lever 20,` each having at its lower end, respectively, an inner longitudinal contact-face 3() 'and 31 (best shown in Fig. 4) and transverse terminal faces 32 and 33, these faces being for the purpose of makin certain contacts with the up per end 'or si es or arms 21 and 22, more fully to be described hereafter, and I provide for the locking-bars. curved inner contactwalls 34 and 35, which come in engagement at times with spreading-head 41, and I provideresilient means for control. of the locking-bars, as spring 36, securedbetween their upper ends 37 upon the slidable pintle 38 in a manner so that a resistance is made to vthe approach of the upper ends 37 of these bars.

I provideA upper and outer extensions or projections 39 upon each of arms 21 and 22 of rock-bar 20. Locking-bars 28 and 29 have.

a length sufficient lto overhang the outer sides of extensions 39, and this 1s their normal position 'whennbraki'ng is being effected, the inner faces 30 and 31 of the locking-bars making contact with and by means of spring. 36pressed .inwardly upon the outer faces of projections 39.

`From the description it wil-l be understood that the means just described-will operate toy lock the rocl -lever in an open position, for when either of arms 21 or 22 of the rock-lever has been .raised by the o erator the opposite arm becomes locked. I arm 22 be raised. as

from the end ofb'rake-cylinder 5.

seasee shown in'Fig. 3, face 30 will no longer have a bearing upon the outer side of the extension 39 of arm 21, but will pass inwardly, and thls extension will have a seating upon the .transverse face 32 of locking-bar 28, and arm21 is thereafter held in its downward position until released by means of the spreading-rod and s reading-head, presently to be describef. Either of arms 21 or -22 may be presseddownward, and the invention is oper,- ative with equal effectiveness.to-instantly lock the parts in a manner sot-hat withoutf'urther attention from the operator com pressed air may escape-from the reseryolr.-

-- I provide automatic means for the release of arms :21 and 22, consisting of devices, now to be described, which operate 1n a manner -minal-end 43 being closely adjacent tovpis# ton-rod 6, thereby passing standard 44 within slot 46, Fig. 7, of which it is sustained. Standard 44 may be-seeured in any convenient manner, as upon the endl` of and outwardly" extending from reservoir 4. The spreading-rod is also sustained in standard 45, secured upon 'and outwardly extending These standards have longitudinalslots 46, con- IOO formingfto the angular walls of spreadingi' rod 42, in which the latter may slide, but is prevented from having any rotative move.- ment'.

I employing 47, secured upon piston-rod 6. This lug is adapted. on occasion to. make contact with end 43 of the spreading-rod, and I provide the collar .or lug 48, secured upon the spreading-rod` adjacent standard 44, and employ resilient means, as spring 49, seated upon the spreading-rod between said lug and standard, this spring resisting a movement of lug 48m a direction toward standard 44. k f

It will be understood'that the `body of spreading-rod 42 is formed as a latbar and preferably is twisted at 50, so that the spreading-head41 will have the lesser diameter ofl its body presented transversely to that of rod 42. Spreading-head 41 is provided with convergently-formed sides 51 and is adapted by reason of its bearings to pass flatwise within the transverse aperture 40. (Best shown in Fig. 4.)

Having described the parts, operation will be lreadily understood.A Piston-rod G is driven 'outwardly by pressure of air coming IIC upon pistonhead 52 with a degree offorce sutlicieiit to overcome the resistance of s iring As piston-rod 6 moves outwardly at this time spreading-head 4:1l Will' pass from Withinaperture under operation of spring 49 a sullicient distance to allow locking-bars 28 and 29 under operation of spring 36 to assume an operative position, as shown in Figs. or 3, ready to perform their function.

Spring 36 is Aa reliable means to prevent spreading of the lower ends of these locking# bars while piston-rod 6 is extended `out- `wardly. During the outward movement of the spreading-rod, which need not exceed a distance of two or three inches, the converge ent walls 51 are removed to a point closely adjacent to extensions 26. I employ,'pref erably, an elongated finger 54, formed upon the free end of head 41. This linger is dis posedwithin aperture 40 at all times when the head 41 is Withdrawn, so that this head may neverbe displaced from an operative position. At. the time of outward travel of piston-rod 6 the rear end 43 ofthe spreading time of inward travel of thepiston-rod lug 47' rod remains close to its surface, so that atthe .will make reliable engagement and thereby will carry thc sIireading-rod in a direction to# Ward valve 7. It will be noted that the means for unlocking of bars 2S and 29 requires no attentionf'roni an operator, and the head 41 is certain to be withdrawn from a contact with curved Walls 34 and 35 bythe means described. '4

In the operation of the invention for releasing compressed air one of arms 2l or 22 is manually actuated, as by means of eX- tending one of rods 25, already described. These arms thereupon immediately become locked by operationof locking-arms 28 and 29, which causes the release-valve to remain open and allows compressed air to escape. This operation is automatic, since maintenance of the valve in an open position does not require thecontinued attention of the operator, and by use of the invention a' single employee is; enabled to release com ressed air from all of the auxiliary reservoirs o a train in a comparatively short time. As soon as the release-valve becomes locked in an open position piston-rod 6 commences to have a gradual inward travel thereby forcing spreadingehead 41 in a lengthwise direction Uwithin aperture 40 and spreading lockingbars 2S and 29 in directions from each other, the release valve 7 thereupon becoming closed and parts restored to a normal position.

The invention may be used with equal facility whether the valve 7' is secured upon top, bottom, orfsides of the auxiliary reserivoir, and one of standards 44 or 45 may be dispensed with or may be changed in form, if desired, and it is considered that other minor details of construction could be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention, the latter-depending upon its claims.

What I claim as my invention `is- 1 In controlling means for a rele asevalve, the combination with a release-valve having a rock-bar; of a pair of locking-bars and a spreading rod; said pair of locking bars seated upon the rock-bar of the release-' valve; said spreading-rod mounted operatively adjacent to-said pair of locking-bars,

and means to control the spreading-rod.

2. In controlling means for a releasevalve, the combination witha release-valve having a'rock-bar; 'of a pair or locking-bars and a spreading-rod; said pair of lockingbars seated upon the rock-bar of the releasevalve; said spreadingerod mounted operatively adjacent to said pair of locking-bars; means to control the lookin -bars, and means to control thcgiprtading-ro Y 3.` In air-brake mechanism, controlling means for' a release-valve; in combination a release-valve having a rock-lever and mounted upon vsaid auxiliaryreservoir; of a pair of locking-bars seated upon saidrocklever, fa spreading-rod resiliently mounted in operative proximity to said Alocking-bars and having an engagement with the pistonrod; and means to control said locking-bars.-

'with 'the auxiliary reservoir, piston-rod, and

IOO

having a releasing-lever formed as a rockbar, of controlling means for said releasevalve, comprising outer 'and upwardly-extending projections forined upon said rockbar; a pair of resliently-mounted lockingbars having inner contactfaces seated u on the outer sides of said outer and upwar lyextending projections of the rock-bar, and having transversely-disposed faces formed upon its terminal ends adapted to have a seating upon the terminal end of one of the projections formed upon said rock-ban of said releasing-lever at the time of actuating said rock-ba l In testimony whereof have aflixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

SILAS C. MOORE. Witnesses:

CHARLES C. FREEMAN,

EDw. T. HAINEs.

I'IO 

